This invention relates to a circulation device for aquarium tanks for circulating heated water from a source throughout the aquarium tank. More particularly, this invention relates to a heated water distributor device which cooperates with an aquarium heater in order to properly distribute the heated water to all areas of the tank in order to avoid hot and cold spots.
As will be appreciated, in the use of aquariums, particularly for tropical fish and other warm water aquatic life, heated water is required in order to simulate the natural environment of the creatures being sustained in the aquarium. For this reason, heaters have been developed for heating the water in the tank with the heaters positioned in the tank and thermostatically controlled to maintain the proper desired temperature. However, since such heaters must necessarily be positioned in only one place in the tank there is a problem of distribution of the water heated by the heater. That is, water immediately adjacent to the heater will be heated to the proper temperature, or perhaps even higher, while areas furthest removed from the heater will not be so heated unless physical measures are taken to properly distribute the heated water throughout the tank. As will be understood by those who are familiar with tropical fish, these variations in temperature between "hot spots" and "cold spots" can affect significantly the maintenance of such tropical fish and, in some cases, the exposure to temperature variations can cause the death of such fish.
This invention is directed to a device which conforms to and operates in conjunction with an aquarium heater for properly collecting and distributing the water heated by the heater to the furthest removed points in the aquarium tank from the heater in order to provide a continuous flow circulation of the heated water throughout the tank and, simultaneously, to withdraw from all areas of the tank the cooler water for further heating. The device of the invention is concentrically arranged around the heater, and provides for the withdrawal of cold water from the tank, the collection of heated water from the area of the heating filaments of the heater, and the distribution of the heated water from a flow distribution spout to the farthest reaches of the aquarium tank.
The device of the invention includes an arrangement for connecting the heated water circulator of the invention to a pump utilized for aerating the water of the tank so as to enhance the flow of heated water from the flow distribution spout of the circulator. The circulator of the invention is so configured and arranged that it may be utilized with heaters of varying length, as will be appreciated, for accommodating different sized aquarium tanks of differing depths. Moreover, the circulator of the invention includes means for adhering the circulator to the tank wall at a proper elevation in relation to the heater body being utilized for a particular aquarium tank.
As purely illustrative of the invention, one may note the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention wherein a heated water circulator is positioned on an aquarium tank wall, and showing the positioning relationship of the circulator of the invention to an aquarium heater.